PYM: Plan Your Meetings

Sizzlin’ Summer Drinks

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After years of “red” or “white” being the choice at many events, the pendulum has swung back to hard liquor and boutique-designed drinks. Instead of the traditional lemon/lime, drinks are being garnished with everything from floating rose petals to a sprig of rosemary or thyme. Only the freshest of ingredients are being squeezed or puréed fresh before our eyes. How about a frozen rum drink with fresh puréed pineapple in a toasted coconut-rimmed glass with a rum-marinated cherry garnish?

How do you incorporate some of these new drink ideas into your events?

Here are some suggestions:
 

• For starters, know your audience. Many groups do not appreciate or know what is trendy. I have had clients this past year wanting to give their attendees a different drink experience only to have guests not take advantage. Customize your specialty drinks to what your group consumes. You can do this by looking at the liquor bills after events and documenting what your group drinks. Take this information and use it to customize your banquet bars. For example, I have one client whose group consists of heavy beer drinkers so we tend to customize our banquet bar with specialty beers.
• Many times these drinks are expensive. I recommend doing one customized drink at the beginning of the event and serve half-size portions to stretch your budget. History shows most people will only want a taste before going back to their normal drink.
• Use a specialty drink as a one-time celebratory toast.
• Incorporate specialty drink tastings into your food stations. This gives the group a sampling of different drinks with a variety of food combinations.
• Specialty drinks should be produced in the back and passed, or each should have a special station. Make sure the bartenders are familiar with the recipe (or print it on a souvenir card or menu). If you think the station will be too busy, have drinks made ahead of time in the back and use the bartenders for “show.”
• Many people love to do martini bars but I like to suggest other options. Martini bars tend to be expensive and have a lot of waste. Plus, people get too drunk. My experience is that banquet bartenders aren’t well versed in making martinis. If you insist on having a martini bar, limit the martini offerings to five and ask the facility to hire restaurant bartenders for this task. 
• Always have a coffee station visible while bars are open. Place it near the doorway with disposable and china cups so guests can have coffee anytime or take it on their way out the door.
• A lot of facilities will waive bartender charges but you have to ask for it. I find across the board they will waive charges if the bar does $750 and above in sales. Recently, at a boutique property in Palm Springs, Calif., they had a $150 per bar set-up fee in addition to bartender fees in addition to tax and gratuity. How much more can they charge for basically the same thing? Do read all the fine print prior to signing the contract.